Providing push notifications to a device based on nearby devices

ABSTRACT

In an approach to providing push notifications to a computing device, one or more computer processors detect a first computing device. The one or more computer processors determine whether one or more additional computing devices are detected within a pre-defined proximity threshold of the first computing device. In response to determining one or more additional computing devices are detected within a pre-defined proximity threshold of the first computing device, the one or more computer processors retrieve data from the one or more additional computing devices. The one or more computer processors determine, based, at least in part, on the retrieved data from the one or more additional computing devices, a notification. The one or more computer processors send the notification to the first computing device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of pushnotifications, and more particularly to providing push notifications toa device based on nearby devices.

Push technology, also known as server push, is a type of Internet-basedcommunication where the request for a given transaction is initiated bya “publisher” or server. Push technology is contrasted with pulltechnology where the request for transmission of information isinitiated by a receiving device or “client.” Push services are sometimesbased on information preferences expressed in advance. This is referredto as a “publish/subscribe” model. For example, a client might subscribeto one or more information “channels.” The server associated with thechannels can then push information to the client when new contentbecomes available. There are many types of push services. For example,synchronous conferencing and instant messaging are forms of pushservices. Increasingly popular are push-enabled web applicationsincluding market data distribution (e.g., stock tickers), onlinechat/messaging systems (e.g., “webchat”), auctions, sports results, andmarketing promotions.

Proximity marketing is the offering of specially selected information,products, or services to customers, based on their currentlocation—often in a retail environment, arena, public building or space.Offers are most often made on a mobile device, when the user has ‘optedin’ for offers. The customer's location may be determined with indoorand outdoor sensors. That location is shared with an integrateddatabase, which sends an offer—a form of “push notification”—based onthat customer's profile. Timing may also be important in proximitymarketing. For example, information or incentives at a conference orconcert might only be relevant and distributed at a specific momentduring the event. This targeting precision has tremendous potential formarketers.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for providingpush notifications to a computing device. The method may include one ormore computer processors detecting a first computing device. The one ormore computer processors determine whether one or more additionalcomputing devices are detected within a pre-defined proximity thresholdof the first computing device, where determining whether one or moreadditional computing devices are within a pre-defined proximitythreshold of the first computing device includes receiving a signal fromthe first computing device that indicates a location of one or more ofthe one or more additional computing devices, where the pre-definedproximity threshold includes at least a radius of a specific distancearound the first computing device or a location within a samepre-defined location as the first computing device, and where thepre-defined proximity threshold includes a time requirement. In responseto determining one or more additional computing devices are detectedwithin a pre-defined proximity threshold of the first computing device,the one or more computer processors retrieve data from the one or moreadditional computing devices, where the retrieved data from the one ormore additional computing devices is selected from the group consistingof a number of additional computing devices within the proximitythreshold, a history associated with the additional computing devices,and metadata associated with the one or more additional computingdevices, and where metadata associated with the one or more additionalcomputing devices is selected from the group consisting of a deviceidentity, a device type, publicly available personal information about auser of the one or more additional computing devices, one or morefrequent contacts of a user of the one or more additional computingdevices, one or more social media connections a user of the one or moreadditional computing devices, and a history of use of one or morecomputing applications downloaded on the one or more additionalcomputing devices. The one or more computer processors determine, based,at least in part, on the retrieved data from the one or more additionalcomputing devices, a notification. The one or more computer processorssend the notification to the first computing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a distributed dataprocessing environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting operational steps of a push notificationprogram, on a server computer within the distributed data processingenvironment of FIG. 1, for push notifications based on nearby devices,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of components of the server computerexecuting the push notification program within the distributed dataprocessing environment of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 5 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Push notifications are a popular means of providing enhanced experiencesfor customers of venues, such as stadiums, airports, retail stores, andhospitals. Many services use mobile device notifications for promotionalpurposes. These notifications may be triggered by some type of actionwhich may be time-based, location-based, or event-based. Generally, thenotifications are independent and unaware of other devices that arenearby. Embodiments of the present invention recognize that marketingimprovement may be gained by enhancing a push notification service withawareness of nearby devices to customize the notification to a targetdevice. Implementation of embodiments of the invention may take avariety of forms, and exemplary implementation details are discussedsubsequently with reference to the Figures.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a distributed dataprocessing environment, generally designated 100, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. The term “distributed” as used inthis specification describes a computer system that includes multiple,physically distinct devices that operate together as a single computersystem. FIG. 1 provides only an illustration of one implementation anddoes not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in whichdifferent embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to thedepicted environment may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as recited by the claims.

Distributed data processing environment 100 includes client computingdevice 104, client computing device 108, and server computer 110,interconnected over network 102. Network 102 can be, for example, atelecommunications network, a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), such as the Internet, or a combination of the three, andcan include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. Network 102 caninclude one or more wired and/or wireless networks that are capable ofreceiving and transmitting data, voice, and/or video signals, includingmultimedia signals that include voice, data, and video information. Ingeneral, network 102 can be any combination of connections and protocolsthat will support communications between client computing device 104,client computing device 108, server computer 110, and other computingdevices (not shown) within distributed data processing environment 100.

Client computing device 104 and client computing device 108 can each beone or more of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, orany programmable electronic device capable of communicating with variouscomponents and devices within distributed data processing environment100, via network 102. In general, client computing devices 104 and 108each represent any programmable electronic device or combination ofprogrammable electronic devices capable of executing machine readableprogram instructions and communicating with other computing devices (notshown) within distributed data processing environment 100 via a network,such as network 102. Client computing devices 104 and 108 each includean instance of user interface 106.

User interface 106 provides an interface for a user of client computingdevice 104 or a user of client computing device 108 with server computer110. In one embodiment, user interface 106 may be a graphical userinterface (GUI) or a web user interface (WUI) and can display text,documents, web browser windows, user options, application interfaces,and instructions for operation, and include the information (such asgraphic, text, and sound) that a program presents to a user and thecontrol sequences the user employs to control the program. In anotherembodiment, user interface 106 may also be mobile application softwarethat provides an interface between a user of client computing device 104or a user of client computing device 108 and server computer 110. Mobileapplication software, or an “app,” is a computer program designed to runon smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. Userinterface 106 enables client computing device 104 or client computingdevice 108 to receive push notifications from server computer 110. Inone embodiment, user interface 106 is a venue-specific app, downloadedto client computing device 104, or client computing device 108, by auser, which enables communication between client computing device 104,or client computing device 108, and push notification program 112. Inthe embodiment, a user can set up preferences, via the app, associatedwith push notifications, and whether to allow push notification program112 to detect the device location.

Server computer 110 can be a standalone computing device, a managementserver, a web server, a mobile computing device, or any other electronicdevice or computing system capable of receiving, sending, and processingdata. In other embodiments, server computer 110 can represent a servercomputing system utilizing multiple computers as a server system, suchas in a cloud computing environment. In another embodiment, servercomputer 110 can be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbookcomputer, a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any programmable electronicdevice capable of communicating with client computing device 104, clientcomputing device 108, and other computing devices (not shown) withindistributed data processing environment 100 via network 102. In anotherembodiment, server computer 110 represents a computing system utilizingclustered computers and components (e.g., database server computers,application server computers, etc.) that act as a single pool ofseamless resources when accessed within distributed data processingenvironment 100. Server computer 110 includes push notification program112 and database 114. Server computer 110 may include internal andexternal hardware components, as depicted and described in furtherdetail with respect to FIG. 3.

Push notification program 112 leverages the presence of nearby devicesto determine customized notifications of a target client computingdevice. Push notification program 112 detects the presence of a targetdevice, such as client computing device 104, in a geographic zone wherenotifications of products, services, or events may be of interest to theuser of the target device. Push notification program 112 then monitorsfor nearby devices, such as client computing device 108, and determineswhether one or more nearby devices are within a pre-defined proximitythreshold. A proximity threshold, as used herein, refers to a thresholdvalue that indicates a proximity to a location. For example, a proximitythreshold may be a pre-defined radius with respect to a given locationor target device. If push notification program 112 finds one or moredevices within the threshold, then push notification program 112retrieves data from the nearby devices that may be useful in customizinga notification for the target device. Based on the retrieved data, pushnotification program 112 determines a notification and sends thenotification to the target device. In the depicted embodiment, pushnotification program 112 is a standalone program. In another embodiment,push notification program 112 may be integrated into one or more of aplurality of existing cloud-based services for notifications and alerts,as would be recognized by one skilled in the art. Push notificationprogram 112 is depicted and described in further detail with respect toFIG. 2.

Database 114 is a repository for data used by push notification program112. In the depicted embodiment, database 114 resides on server computer110. In another embodiment, database 114 may reside elsewhere withindistributed data processing environment 100 provided push notificationprogram 112 has access to database 114. A database is an organizedcollection of data. Database 114 can be implemented with any type ofstorage device capable of storing data and configuration files that canbe accessed and utilized by server computer 110, such as a databaseserver, a hard disk drive, or a flash memory. Database 114 storesmetadata associated with users of user interface 106 such as a historyof use of user interface 106 with a client computing device, such asclient computing devices 104 or 108.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting operational steps of push notificationprogram 112, on server computer 110 within distributed data processingenvironment 100 of FIG. 1, for push notifications based on nearbydevices, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Push notification program 112 detects a target device (step 202). Pushnotification program 112 uses one or more of a plurality of techniquesknown in the art to detect the presence of a target device as thedevice, such as client computing device 104, enters a pre-definedlocation or zone. For example, push notification program 112 may use aglobal positioning system (GPS), Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, RFID, etc. In oneembodiment, the zone is location-based. For example, a zone may bedefined as a location within a radius of a specific distance of one ormore transceiver devices that transmit a beacon signal in a venue. Inanother example, a zone may be defined by GPS coordinates. In anotherembodiment, the zone may also include a time requirement, where pushnotification program 112 detects the location of a target device withina pre-defined period of time. For example, the device enters aparticular location of a venue during a specific time period, such asbetween 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm. In a further embodiment, push notificationprogram 112 may require that the target device reside in the pre-definedlocation for a specified period of time. For example, the target deviceenters a particular location of a retail store and stays in the locationfor at least 30 seconds. In one embodiment, upon detection of the targetdevice, push notification program 112 determines whether the targetdevice includes user interface 106.

Push notification program 112 monitors for nearby device(s) (step 204).Push notification program 112 uses one or more of a plurality oftechniques known in the art, as discussed earlier, to monitor thepre-defined zone for the presence of any other devices, such as clientcomputing device 108, within a proximity threshold to the target device.In one embodiment, push notification program 112 monitors for nearbydevices by receiving a signal from the target device in response to thetarget device detecting a location signal from one or more transceiverdevices, such as a Bluetooth® beacon, in the pre-defined zone. Pushnotification program 112 instructs the target device to capture thelocation of nearby devices, i.e., devices within a pre-defined proximitythreshold. Then push notification program 112 retrieves locationinformation of nearby devices from the target device. In an embodimentwhere micro-location sensing technologies, such as a Wi-Fi® basedtriangulation system, are present, push notification program 112 maymonitor for nearby devices by receiving location information regardingthe nearby devices from the micro-location sensors. In a furtherembodiment where a Wi-Fi® based triangulation system is present butnearby devices have not enabled Wi-Fi®, push notification program 112may monitor for nearby devices by sending a pre-notification to thetarget device to instruct the target device, via user interface 106, tocapture the location of nearby devices. In one embodiment, the proximitythreshold is defined as a radius of a specific distance around thetarget device. In another embodiment, the proximity threshold may be alocation within the same pre-defined location or zone as the targetdevice. In a further embodiment, where the proximity threshold is radiusaround the target device of a specific distance, push notificationprogram 112 monitors for nearby devices by locating a device whoseproximity threshold overlaps the proximity threshold of the targetdevice. In one embodiment, push notification program 112 determineswhether the nearby devices include user interface 106.

Push notification program 112 determines whether any nearby devices aredetected within a pre-defined proximity threshold (decision block 206).Based on received location information for nearby devices, pushnotification program 112 determines whether one or more devices arewithin the proximity threshold of the target device. If pushnotification program 112 determines one or more nearby devices aredetected within a pre-defined proximity threshold (“yes” branch,decision block 206), then push notification program 112 retrieves dataassociated with the nearby devices (step 208). Push notification program112 can customize a notification to the target device based on dataassociated with nearby devices. Data associated with nearby devices mayinclude, but is not limited to, what devices are nearby, a number ofdevices nearby, whether the nearby devices have a history with pushnotification program 112, whether push notification program 112 detectedthe target device in proximity to the nearby devices in the past, ormetadata associated with the nearby devices. Metadata may include, forexample, the device identity or the device type. Push notificationprogram 112 may use the retrieved metadata to identify a user's personalpreferences. For example, the metadata may include any publiclyavailable personal information about the device user, including frequentcontacts, social media connections, or a history of use of userinterface 106 or of other applications downloaded on the device.

Responsive to retrieving data associated with nearby devices, or if pushnotification program 112 determines one or more nearby devices are notdetected within a pre-defined proximity threshold (“no” branch, decisionblock 206), then push notification program 112 determines a notification(step 210). Push notification program 112 determines a notification forthe target device based on whether or not nearby devices are within theproximity threshold. For example, if the user of client computing device104 walks into a picture frame department of a store, and pushnotification program 112 does not detect any devices within theproximity threshold, then push notification program 112 may determine anotification such as “Here is a coupon for 50% off picture frames.” If,for example, the user of client computing device 104 walks into apicture frame department of a store, and push notification program 112detects a device belonging to a friend of the user of client computingdevice 104, i.e., the user of client computing device 108, within theproximity threshold, then push notification program 112 may determinefrom the retrieved data that the user of client computing device 108 haspreviously used a coupon for picture frames, and then determine anotification such as “Here is a coupon for 50% off picture frames. Yourfriend has taken advantage of this coupon in the past. Ask your friendif it was worth it.”

In another example, the user of client computing device 104 walks into afitness accessory area of a store wearing a personal fitness monitor. Inthe example, client computing device 104 is the user's smart phone whileclient computing device 108 is the user's personal fitness monitor.Since push notification program 112 detects the personal fitness monitorwithin the proximity threshold, push notification program 112 determinesa notification such as “We have a full selection of fitness monitoraccessories in aisle 4A.” In an example where push notification program112 does not detect a fitness monitor as a nearby device, pushnotification program 112 may determine a notification such as “Save 25%on personal fitness monitors.” In one embodiment, push notificationprogram 112 may determine that no criteria are met for a notificationand therefore push notification program 112 does not determine anotification. In an embodiment where push notification program 112 isnot integrated into an existing cloud-based service for notificationsand alerts, push notification program 112 sends the retrieved data tothe cloud-based service, and the cloud-based service determines thenotification.

Push notification program 112 sends a notification (step 212). Inresponse to determining a notification, push notification program 112sends the notification to the user of client computing device 104, viauser interface 106. In one embodiment, push notification program 112 mayalso send a notification to one or more nearby devices. In an embodimentwhere push notification program 112 is not integrated into an existingcloud-based service for notifications and alerts, the cloud-basedservice sends the notification.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of components of server computer 110within distributed data processing environment 100 of FIG. 1, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It should beappreciated that FIG. 3 provides only an illustration of oneimplementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to theenvironments in which different embodiments can be implemented. Manymodifications to the depicted environment can be made.

Server computer 110 can include processor(s) 304, cache 314, memory 306,persistent storage 308, communications unit 310, input/output (I/O)interface(s) 312 and communications fabric 302. Communications fabric302 provides communications between cache 314, memory 306, persistentstorage 308, communications unit 310, and input/output (I/O)interface(s) 312. Communications fabric 302 can be implemented with anyarchitecture designed for passing data and/or control informationbetween processors (such as microprocessors, communications and networkprocessors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any otherhardware components within a system. For example, communications fabric302 can be implemented with one or more buses.

Memory 306 and persistent storage 308 are computer readable storagemedia. In this embodiment, memory 306 includes random access memory(RAM). In general, memory 306 can include any suitable volatile ornon-volatile computer readable storage media. Cache 314 is a fast memorythat enhances the performance of processor(s) 304 by holding recentlyaccessed data, and data near recently accessed data, from memory 306.

Program instructions and data used to practice embodiments of thepresent invention, e.g., push notification program 112 and database 114are stored in persistent storage 308 for execution and/or access by oneor more of the respective processor(s) 304 of server computer 110 viacache 314. In this embodiment, persistent storage 308 includes amagnetic hard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetichard disk drive, persistent storage 308 can include a solid-state harddrive, a semiconductor storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), anerasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, or anyother computer readable storage media that is capable of storing programinstructions or digital information.

The media used by persistent storage 308 may also be removable. Forexample, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 308.Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, andsmart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto anothercomputer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage308.

Communications unit 310, in these examples, provides for communicationswith other data processing systems or devices, including resources ofclient computing devices 104 and 108. In these examples, communicationsunit 310 includes one or more network interface cards. Communicationsunit 310 may provide communications through the use of either or bothphysical and wireless communications links. Push notification program112 and database 114 may be downloaded to persistent storage 308 ofserver computer 110 through communications unit 310.

I/O interface(s) 312 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may be connected to server computer 110. For example, I/Ointerface(s) 312 may provide a connection to external device(s) 316 suchas a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, a microphone, a digital camera,and/or some other suitable input device. External device(s) 316 can alsoinclude portable computer readable storage media such as, for example,thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards.Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention,e.g., push notification program 112 and database 114 on server computer110, can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media andcan be loaded onto persistent storage 308 via I/O interface(s) 312. I/Ointerface(s) 312 also connect to a display 318.

Display 318 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be,for example, a computer monitor. Display 318 can also function as atouchscreen, such as a display of a tablet computer.

It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detaileddescription on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recitedherein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather,embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented inconjunction with any other type of computing environment now known orlater developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 includes one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Cloud computingnodes 10 may communicate with one another. They may be grouped (notshown) physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such asPrivate, Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove,or a combination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 tooffer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which acloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 4 are intended to be illustrative only and that cloud computingnodes 10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with anytype of computerized device over any type of network and/or networkaddressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 5, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 4) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 5 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may include applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and push notification program 112.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be any tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, a segment, or aportion of instructions, which comprises one or more executableinstructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In somealternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occurout of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown insuccession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles ofthe embodiment, the practical application or technical improvement overtechnologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing push notifications to afirst computing device, the method comprising: detecting, by one or morecomputer processors, a first computing device; determining, by the oneor more computer processors, whether one or more additional computingdevices are detected within a pre-defined proximity threshold of thefirst computing device, wherein determining whether one or moreadditional computing devices are within a pre-defined proximitythreshold of the first computing device includes receiving a signal fromthe first computing device that indicates a location of one or more ofthe one or more additional computing devices, wherein the pre-definedproximity threshold includes at least a radius of a specific distancearound the first computing device or a location within a samepre-defined location as the first computing device, and wherein thepre-defined proximity threshold includes a time requirement; responsiveto determining one or more additional computing devices are detectedwithin a pre-defined proximity threshold of the first computing device,retrieving, by the one or more computer processors, data from the one ormore additional computing devices, wherein the retrieved data from theone or more additional computing devices is selected from the groupconsisting of a number of additional computing devices within theproximity threshold, a history associated with the additional computingdevices, and metadata associated with the one or more additionalcomputing devices, and wherein metadata associated with the one or moreadditional computing devices is selected from the group consisting of adevice identity, a device type, publicly available personal informationabout a user of the one or more additional computing devices, one ormore frequent contacts of a user of the one or more additional computingdevices, one or more social media connections a user of the one or moreadditional computing devices, and a history of use of one or morecomputing applications downloaded on the one or more additionalcomputing devices; determining, by the one or more computer processors,based, at least in part, on the retrieved data from the one or moreadditional computing devices, a notification; and sending, by the one ormore computer processors, the notification to the first computingdevice.